Rotating knobs are often found on a number of different appliances including, for example, stoves and washing machines, and are typically used for controlling various settings or operating parameters of appliances (e.g., temperature, cycles, etc.).
Inadvertent (e.g., accidental) rotation of a knob may power-on an appliance (or a portion thereof), or cause a change in a current setting of an appliance which, in certain instances, may have dangerous repercussions. For example, safety concerns arise when small children, driven by curiosity, try and manipulate knobs. Particularly, a child may accidentally turn on a stove burner and/or increase the amount of heat of a stove burner simply by turning a knob. Some conventional stove knobs, for instance, may require slight depression of the knob and control stem in order to allow the knob and control stem to rotate from an default or neutral position to an active position. In view of these concerns, some knobs are designed with safety and/or lock mechanisms that seek to prevent rotation of a knob. Known safety and/or lock mechanisms for control knobs, however, can be improved.